WHEN Eddie O'Sullivan said to the assembled media following Sunday's dramatic win at the Adelaide Oval that never again did he want to hear Ireland, Argentina and Lens mentioned in the same breath, everyone knew exactly where the Irish coach was coming from.

All week in the build-up to Saturday's re-match, O'Sullivan, along with skipper Keith Wood, had sought to play down the revenge factor.

"Lens was consigned to history", he consistently reminded us. Deep down he knew it was anything but.

Lens, an industrial town in the north-east of France, has stained the fabric of Irish rugby for the past four years. The ramifications of that shock defeat were many, not least in terms of having to qualify for the World Cup.

If nothing else, the Lens loss paved the way for a more proactive and professional approach by the IRFU chiefs. Under Philip Browne, the Union left nothing to chance to ensure the best prepared Irish rugby team ever departed home shores for this World Cup.

With one pool game to go, they have achieved their pre-stated objective in qualifying from the 'Pool of Death' for the quarter-finals.

But O'Sulivan's aspirations will now move up a notch, as will that of his team.

First up on Saturday is a clash with the Wallabies, a side visibly growing in confidence as this tournament progresses.

As much as O'Sullivan is relishing the prospect of tackling the reigning champions, the Wizards of Oz are itching to square up to the Irish. With a glint in his eye, Australia coach Eddie Jones let slip how much Saturday's encounter means.

Commenting on establishing a new record winning margin against the sadly out-of-depth Namibians, Jones said: "We racked up a few points (against Namibia) but we know now that we've got a game against a side who are ranked higher by the International Rugby Board than us.

"Ireland have won 17 of their last 19 test games which is a fairly conclusive and admirable record. They've got world class players in their side so we're expecting the toughest of games."

Statistically, he got it slightly wrong but why let the truth get in the way of a good psychological spin.

In the IRB's revised rankings, released immediately prior to the tournament, Australia had leapfrogged Ireland to claim third place, a point Jones was quick to overlook.

In his view, the Melbourne meeting is a chance for Australia to put the record straight over the IRB's controversial rankings.

For the Irish, the pressure is off to a certain extent. The pressure to beat Argentina has evaporated as has the pressure to take something out of Melbourne too. Unquestionably, Sunday's gritty win has lifted a psychological load off the shoulders of Ireland's World Cup squad, which bodes well for the Australian challenge.

As Wood observed in the aftermath of the Argentina win on Sunday: "The shackles are off and the time is right to give it a go."

The team to run out at the Telstra Dome will not now be announced until Thursday, which is due to bumps and bruises and the transfer down from Adelaide.

With try-hero Alan Quinlan ruled out of the rest of the tournament, Victor Costello nursing a damaged thigh, Anthony Foley set to resume training today and David Wallace due to arrive here later this evening, I feel the break is about allowing key players recover before deciding on the team, in which the out-half and back-row places are a matter of debate.

First, the back row. If all players are passed fit, the case for restoring the tried and trusted Costello/Keith Gleeson/Foley combination at six, seven and eight, respectively, is strong.

With Jones sticking to his guns and playing two openside flankers in George Smith and Phil Waugh, the case for Ireland using its only specialist seven, Gleeson, is strong.

I expect Gleeson will return after missing out last weekend but even the former NSW Waratah can appreciate the logic behind O'Sullivan's Argentine strategy.

The front five that started against the Pumas still looks the first choice combination but Marcus Horan's storming second half display in Adelaide has, I suspect, planted at least one fresh seed in the coach's mind.

The signs are that the slick-handling Munster man is set to become the loose-head linchpin for some time to come.

But assuming O'Sullivan sticks to his pre-tournament plan of picking his strongest line-up every time, then Reggie Corrigan is likely to shade it over Horan in the front.

If experimentation becomes part of the agenda, which is unlikely in a match of this magnitude, then Horan would be worth a start.

Behind the scrum the only position to be addressed is that of out-half and here the case for Ronan O'Gara to continue where he left off in Adelaide is overwhelming in my view.

The core issue in the ongoing debate for me has consistently centred around fair play and form. Here, O'Sullivan has been loyal to the nth degree in honouring that principle by selecting David Humphreys.

As thing stand now, the roles have now reversed with O'Gara easing back into pole position following Sunday's impressive contribution in Adelaide.

I do not possess inside information but based on what I've seen, and my familiarity of the position, I will be more than a little surprised if it is not O'Gara named in the No 10 shirt to face the Wallabies.

As O'Sullivan has consistently reminds us there is precious little between Humphreys and O'Gara but the force now is most definitely with O'Gara. His head is up and his confidence high. Certainly he would be my choice to start this time out.

It would be remiss of me not to pass comment on Argentina as it is hard to believe the Pumas have already exited the competition. In my view, they have been treated abysmally by the governing bodies of world rugby.

Bear in mind they were seeded fifth following the last World Cup and were placed second ahead of Ireland in Pool A, to then cram four games into 17 days was unfair.

Just think, they were already out of the running before England started their third game. Crazy.

They had only three days to recover from facing down the Romanians in Sydney in game three.

By contrast, Ireland's four games were spread over 23 days and included almost a week's break between each.

The Pumas have been shabbily treated at this World Cup and as for the Australia v Namibia whitewash, pray tell who benefits from that.

It is a result that did little for the credibility of the World Cup, the image of the tournament or more than anything else the future of the game in the South West African state.

For Ireland, Adelaide '03 will forever conjure up happy images but for Namibia and Argentina, their South Australian adventure is best forgotten.